Steam valve and pedal arrangement in pressing machines



Aprifl 3@, W35. L. c. KIENZLE 1,999,463

STEAM VALVE AND PEDAL ARRANGEMENT IN PRESSING MACHINES Filed Feb. 15, 1929 INVENTOR.

w v N m T T A Patented Apr. 30, 1935 UNIT o s'r'r 'l' OFFHIE STEAM VALVE AND PEDAL ARRANGEMENT 1N PRESSING MACHINES Application February 15, 1929, Serial No. 340,162

9 Claims.

This invention relates to garment and laundry pressing machines and has for its object a mechanism by which a fluid as steam can be projected on the garment and controlled either by a handle on the head of the machine or an operating member or pedal on the frame of the machine.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front, perspective view of a machine embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a detail view of the operating member on the head.

Figure 4 is a plan view of parts seen in Figure 3.

The pressing machine may be of any suitable form, size or construction, and as here illustrated, comprises a stationary buck I mounted on a bracket 2 which is supported on a frame 3.

l designates the head movable toward and from the buck the head being carried at the front end of a yoke lever 5 pivoted at 6 between its ends to a standard 1 rising from the frame. The head may be actuated by foot or power, but in the machine here shown, it is actuated by power mechanism comprising a cylinder 8 having a piston movable therein, the rod 9 of which is pivoted at it to one arm of an angle lever H, pivoted at H2 at its angle to the base of the frame, the other arm it of the lever being pivoted at M to the lower end of a link 55, the upper end of which is pivoted at it to the rear arm of the yoke lever 5. The piston is single acting, and the press is opened when the pressure in the cylinder 8 is released, by countersprings il E8. The flow of motive fluid to and from the cylinder is controlled by valve mechanism operated by a push button 20 and release lever 2 I.

The pressing machine thus far described, forms no part of this invention.

Garment pressing machines, as will be understood, are usually provided with means for projecting steam through the pressing face of the head to moisten the garment and the valve controlling the steam is carried by the head. Oftentimes, the operator is desirous of steaming the garment while holding the garment stretched on the buck so that it is awkward to operate the valve .on the head. This invention relates to means whereby the valve on the head is operable by a pedal when desired.

22 designates the valve which controls the flow of steam from the usual steam chamber in the head, to the usual chamber or channel which discharges through 'et openings 23 through the pressing face of the head.

24 is the movable stem of the valve located in a casing on the head to control the flow of steam from the steam chamber in the head to the channel in the head and from the jet openings.

28 is the operating member of the lever pivoted at 29 to a bracket 353 on the head and having an arm 3i arranged to push against the stem 24, the lever 28 having a handle 32.

33 is a pedal pivoted at 34 near the lower portion of the frame, this pedal being connected to the operating member 28 so as to operate the lever 28 and hence open the steam valve 22 when the pedal 33 is depressed. The connections between the pedal 33 and the operating member 28 are so arranged that the movement of the head 4 or the yoke lever 5 does not afiect either the pedal 33 or lever 28. Also, such connections include a one-way lost motion connection so located that the movement of the operating member to open the steam valve is independent of the pedal 33 and transferred to the stem 24 of the valve through the operating lever 28.

As seen in the drawing, the connections include an angle lever 35 pivoted at 35 to the yoke lever 5 eccentric to the axis 6 of the yoke lever t, the lever 35 having one arm 36 radial with the axial line of the pivot t.

The lever 36 is connected by a link 3i through suitable motion transmitting mechanism to the pedal 33, and the pivotal joint 38 connecting the link 3? and the arm 35 is located in the axial line of the pivot 5. The other arm of the lever 35 is connected by a link 39 to the lever 28 by a one-way lost motion connection. This lost motion connection comprises a slot ll] formed in the lever 28 and a pin ll on the front end of the link 39. Obviously, downward movement of the handle 28 will actuate the valve stem Without transmitting motion to the link 39, and that forward movement of the link 39 effected by depression of the pedal 33 will transmit movement from the link 39 to the lever 28 owing to the fact that the pin ll thrusts against the front end wall of the slot til.

The motion of the pedal 33 is transmitted to the link Bl through suitable mechanism comprising an angle lever 42 pivoted at 33 at its angle to the frame, one arm thereof being pivoted at 46 to the lower end of the link 3'! and the other arm being pivoted to one end of a link it, the other end of which is pivoted to an arm it on the pedal 33.

This steaming mechanism is particularly advantageous in that the operator can steam the garment either by operating a hand valve on the head or depressing a pedal on the frame.

What I claim is:

1. In a garment or laundry pressing machine, a frame, a buck mounted on the frame, a head movable toward and from the buck, a lever pivoted to the frame and supporting the head, the head having means for controlling the projecting of a fluid through its pressing face including a valve, a valve operating member on the head, an operating lever pivoted to the frame and connections between the operating lever and the valve operating member including a lever pivoted to the head supporting lever, eccentric to the pivotal axis thereof and having one arm radial to the axis of the head supporting lever, a link connected at one end with the operating lever and at the other end to said radial arm at a point located substantially in the line of the pivotal axis of the head supporting lever, means connecting the head-lever-supported pivoted lever with the valve operating member, and an auxiliary manual means for operating the valve operating member.

2. In a garment or laundry pressing machine, a frame, a buck mounted on the frame, a head movable toward and from the buck, a yoke lever pivoted to the frame and supporting the head, the head having means for controlling the projecting of a fluid through its pressing face including a valve, a valve operating member on the head, an operating lever pivoted to the frame, a lever pivoted to the yoke angle lever on an axis eccentric to the pivotal axis thereof and having one arm radial to the axis of the yoke lever and a link connected at one end to said radial arm at a point located substantially in the line of the pivotal axis of the yoke lever and operatively connected at its other end with the operating lever, connections between the other arm of the angle lever and the operating member, one of said connections being joined to provide a oneway lost motion connection whereby the operating member on the head is operable independently of the, operating lever in the frame.

3. In a garment or laundry pressing machine in combination a frame; a buck mounted on the frame; a head movable toward and from the buck; means movably supporting the head on the frame; means associated with the head for controlling the projecting of a fluid against the buck including a valve, and a valve operating member on the head; foot operated lever means pivoted to the frame; connections between the foot operated lever means and the valve operating memher; an auxiliary manual means for operating the valve operating member; and a lost motion connection in the connections with the valve operating member so that one of the manual and foot operated means may be operated independently of the other.

4. In a garment or laundry pressing machine in combination a frame; a buck mounted on the frame; a head movable toward and from the buck; a lever pivoted to the frame and supporting the head; the head having means for controlling the projecting of a fiuid against the buck,

including a valve and a valve operating member on the head; a pedal pivoted on the frame and lever means connected therewith; a lever pivoted to the head supporting lever at a point eccentric to the pivotal axis of the head supporting lever; a link connected at one end to an arm of the pivoted lever at a point located substantially in the line of the pivotal axis of the head supporting lever, and connected at its other end to the lever means connecting with the pedal; and means connecting the lever with the valve operating member.

5. In a pressing machine, a frame, a buck mounted on the frame, a head movable toward and from the buck, a lever pivoted to the frame and supporting the head, the head having means for controlling the projecting of a fluid against the buck, including a valve, a valve operating member on the head, an operating lever pivoted to the frame and connections between the operating lever and the valve operating member including a lever connected with the valve operating member and pivoted about a pivot movable with the head supporting lever eccentric to the pivotal axis of the head supporting lever, and a link connected at one end to an arm of the pivoted lever at a point located substantially in the line of the pivotal axis of the head supporting lever.

6. In a garment or laundry pressing machine, a frame, a buck mounted on the frame, a head movable toward and from the buck, a carrier for the head movably mounted in the frame, the head having means for controlling the projecting of a fluid through its pressing face comprising a valve, a valve operating member on the head, said member having a handle, a pedal pivoted to the frame, connections between the pedal and the operating member on the head including a one-way operative connection to permit operation of the valve by the handle independently of said pedal.

7. In a garment press, a frame; a fixed pressing element on said frame; a movable pressing element mounted for swinging movement on the frame; a steam valve on said movable element; valve operating mechanism including a reciprocable member swingable with said movable element; a rocker arm pivoted adjacent the fulcrum of said movable pressing element and conneoted to said reciprocable element; a foot lever; and means connecting said foot lever and said rocker arm whereby depression of said foot lever opens said valve.

8. In a garment or laundry pressing machine, a frame, a buck mounted on the frame, a head movable toward and away from the buck, a lever pivoted to the frame and supporting the head, the head having means for controlling the projecting of a fluid through its pressing face including a valve, a valve operating member on the head, an operating lever pivoted to the frame, a lever pivoted to the first mentioned lever eccentric to the pivotal axis thereof and having one arm radial to the axis of the first men tioned lever, connections between the operating member on the head and the lever having the radial arm and between the lever having the radial arm and the valve operating lever including a link connected at one end to said radial arm at a point located substantially in the line of the pivotal axis of the first mentioned lever and operatively connected at its other end with the operating lever, said connections being provided with a, one-way lost motion connection whereby the operating member on the head is operable independently of the operating lever in the frame.

9. In a garment pressing machine, a frame member, a fixed pressing element on said frame member, a lever member pivoted on said frame member and having a pressing head thereon, a steam valve on said head, a foot lever, a rocker arm pivoted to one of the said members adjacent the fulcrum of said head press lever member and connected to said foot lever, said arm being adapted to be rocked by said foot lever, a manually operated lever for opening said steam valve, means adapted to coact with said manually operated lever for opening the valve and means connecting the rocker arm and the former means, whereby the valve can be opened by thefoot lever.

LESTER C. KIENZLE. 

